Aurora didn't immediately respond. She appeared to be deep in thought, flashing a meaningful smile at her little girl. Elora's round eyes with hazel irises, a duplicate of Daddy's, blinked playfully, making her look incredibly adorable. Aurora's gaze then shifted to Ivand, her second child, who resembled her more, although some parts of his face still belonged to Daddy. Their beloved man's intense gaze was mirrored perfectly in the little cute boy. However, Aurora's stubborn and spoiled nature was inherited seamlessly by the charming toddler.
Since Aurora remained silent, Elora turned to Daddy for help. "Please, Daddy." Elora clasped her hands together in front of her chest, a gesture mimicked by Ivand, even though the toddler didn't understand what he was doing. Seeing the cute antics of her two children, Dave couldn't help but hold back a chuckle and decided to join in the teasing.
"What do you say? Well, it's up to Mommy," Dave replied, looking at Elora and Ivand in
"Are you really pregnant, Ra?" Laura exclaimed in surprise."Tell me, how did your pregnancy planning go?" Aurora nodded as her response and then asked her friend."Just pray, Ra, that I can get pregnant as quickly as you did!" Laura replied with a smile that turned somber. The cyst disease that had been removed through surgery in the past had returned, making it difficult for Laura to conceive again.Seeing the sadness in Laura's eyes, Aurora quickly changed the subject. She looked at the twins who were currently arguing about something. Nathan and Nafla, Laura and Aryan's 7-year-old twins, always stole the spotlight whenever they gathered. Although they were born from the same womb and at the same time, it didn't mean they always got along. On the contrary, there was never a day without them quarreling. Among the dozens of toys they had, they always fought over the same one. And when one of them gave in, they would toss the toy aside. Even worse, if you looked
While the plane carrying Aurora was in the air, she couldn't shake off her restlessness. Her soul seemed to be left behind at home. The image of Dave's disappointed eyes was vivid in her mind. Gracia, who was sitting beside Aurora, could only remain silent. This was not the first time she accompanied Aurora in this state. She knew the cause of her friend's anxiety. Most likely, earlier that morning, before heading to the airport, Aurora and Dave had another quarrel, as usual. Gracia, as a friend, never stopped advising Aurora to focus more on her family and be obedient to her husband. But what could Gracia do if Aurora didn't heed her advice? Aurora was at the peak of her career right now. Leaving behind everything she had achieved wasn't easy after the long struggle she had been through. Gracia had been a firsthand witness to Aurora's journey from starting her modeling career during college until her success."Ra, let's take a break, okay? We still have two hours to relax in
At midnight, Aurora finally arrived home. She was overwhelmed with mixed emotions when she saw Dave sound asleep, lying on his back with Elora and Ivand cuddled up to him. As quietly as possible, Aurora retrieved her change of clothes from the walk-in closet to avoid making any noise. She then moved to the children's room to freshen up and perform the Isha prayer before returning to her own bedroom.Aurora couldn't help but smile as she gazed at Dave's handsome face. In his mature years, he didn't appear older but rather more attractive and alluring. She delighted in admiring her husband's face. Her gaze then shifted to her two beloved children who seemed so comfortable in their father's embrace. Aurora imagined how happy it would be if she could join them in that bed, but she knew it wasn't possible. Her actions would disrupt their comfort.Aurora arranged the pillow she had brought from her children's room and lay down on the sofa she had turned into a makeshift bed.
Slowly, Dave removed Aurora's hand from his body. However, he couldn't escape when he heard Aurora's faint murmur, "Stay here!""I thought you were asleep," Dave chuckled and stroked Aurora's cheek. "We should eat first; your stomach needs to be filled. Come on, put on your clothes; we're going downstairs," Dave continued.Reluctantly, Aurora got up from the bed. With sleepy eyes, she raised both hands to tidy her tousled hair. Unconsciously, the blanket covering Aurora slipped, and Dave's hazel eyes became hazy once again. "Hurry, put on your clothes before our little one asks for more!" Dave said, trying to divert his attention from the enticing view before him. If Aurora weren't in the early stages of pregnancy and exhausted, they would have spent the entire day in bed making love.Just as Dave put on his boxer shorts and shirt, Aurora's phone rang loudly. "Can you get that for me, Dave?" Aurora's raspy wake-up voice made Dave hesitate to get up. He looked at
Saturday afternoon, the whole family had gathered at Dave and Aurora's house to head to Watu Kodok Beach together, except for Anton and Brian's families, who would meet them at the destination. Since the distance from Yogyakarta to the beach wasn't too far, just a two-hour drive, they had decided well in advance to travel in their own vehicles.Concerned about Aurora's condition, who was still in her first trimester of pregnancy, Dave chose to bring their private driver along. Dave was very grateful because Aurora had never encountered any major issues during her pregnancy. Her sensitivity and occasional demands were the only challenges. Dave never minded whenever Aurora complained in the middle of the night, either about craving something hard to find or simply asking for a back or foot massage. What pleased him even more was that during her pregnancy, Aurora was often the one teasing him.Dave's concerns became a reality when they had to stop at gas stations four tim
In the early morning, the kids were already excited, begging to see the sunrise. The grandparents were struggling to persuade their grandchildren, while their parents were still busy in their rooms.Alan, enjoying his coffee with Ferdinand and Hendrik, jokingly said, "You should knock on your parents' door to finish their chess game!" The grandmothers looked at Alan with confusion, while Ferdinand and Hendrik appeared indifferent to the morning chaos."Okay, Eki, let's just play chess since they're too busy. Besides, we came here for a vacation, and they're just hanging out all the time," Ricky quipped, now with Azka. The 12-year-old walked toward his parents' room, followed by Nathan and Nicholas."Besides, they intended to have a vacation here, but they're always together. Plus, these grandkids are wide awake and can't sit still!" Alan continued, looking at the grandmothers casually. Seeing Erika's stern gaze, Alan quickly got up from his seat and approached h
All family members were going about their usual activities, except for Anton and Brian, who planned to return to Surabaya on Monday afternoon. The ladies had gathered at Aurora's house. They talked about various topics as women often do. It seemed they never ran out of things to discuss. They began with the amusing antics of the toddlers and then moved on to favorite movies, eventually leading to conversations about how besotted their husbands were."Ra, are you sure you want to be a stay-at-home mom?" Arabella raised an incredulous eyebrow when her sister expressed her desire."Yes, Arabella, I've decided to leave the modeling world. I want to focus on my boutique. When I reflect on it, I've missed out on so much while chasing my career when true happiness lies in being with family. I want to enjoy being a mother who can always be there for every milestone of my children. I don't want to miss moments that will never come back. I realize that, when they become teenager
"Honey, please don't stay silent like this," Dave pleaded while gently caressing Aurora's shoulder as she lay with her back turned. Aurora remained unmoved, pretending to be asleep. It was clear that Aurora was angry and jealous upon discovering WhatsApp messages from another woman on her husband's phone.Negative thoughts started to creep into her mind as she recalled how she had been too indifferent to her husband's personal affairs while being preoccupied with her own. Could it be that Dave was tempted by women out there who were sexier, prettier, and younger than her? Aurora herself had witnessed how Dave seemed to attract the attention of women when they picked up their children from school. Yet, it was clear that Dave was with his legitimate wife.Failing to get a response from the woman he loved, Dave slowly moved under the covers and reached out to Aurora. He held her tightly and began kissing her shoulder with love. He knew his wife hadn't really fallen asleep
After the birth of the twins, the life of Aryan and Laura's small family became even more colorful. There was no happiness that could replace it, but behind all that, Aryan became the subject of jokes among relatives and family members due to the fainting incident while accompanying Laura during her recent surgery."Seriously, you're so funny for fainting next to your wife during her surgery. Luckily, Laura didn't go into shock; it could have been fatal," Andre said with laughter as they had just returned home from the hospital."Let it go, Dad, there's no need to talk about it again," Aryan replied with irritation as he guided Laura into the bedroom, while the twins remained calm in the arms of Liana and Della.Laura rested for a while, trying to ease the pain from the incision in her abdomen following the cesarean section surgery, which still greatly affected her movements. Aryan wiped the sweat from Laura's forehead with a tissue and gently kissed her.
Seven months later…Laura and Aryan were now in the final trimester of her pregnancy. It wouldn't be long before she would give birth to their twin babies, a boy and a girl, according to the ultrasound results. Laura's pregnancy had been progressing smoothly, even though she had experienced morning sickness for two months.She managed to meet all of Dr. Rahma's recommended nutritional requirements. Despite occasional morning sickness and vomiting in the morning, Laura's appetite had increased with her advancing pregnancy. It wasn't surprising that her weight had increased by 30 kg. Dr. Rahma estimated that each baby weighed around 3 kg, so Laura was advised to follow a diet while waiting for the delivery.For the past two months, Laura and Aryan had moved to a ground-floor room, using the living room as their bedroom because Laura wasn't allowed to go up and down the stairs. When Aryan was at the office, Liana, his mother, would be on standby, and Bi Ana an
Aryan's overprotective attitude made Laura both happy and annoyed. She was ecstatic because she felt deeply loved, but at the same time, she was frustrated by Aryan's constant restrictions. Like tonight, Aryan didn't allow her to do anything except go to the bathroom. He prepared a glass of water for her medication along with the prenatal milk they had bought at the mini-market. And, of course, he always accompanied her to the bathroom every time."Thank you, Honey, for all the happiness you've given me. I promise to be the best husband and father for you and our children," Aryan whispered while hugging Laura from behind. He nuzzled his face into the curve of Laura's neck, his right hand gently caressing her still-flat stomach."You're welcome, and thank you for all your love," Laura replied while stroking the back of Aryan's hand, which was wrapped around her belly. Laura couldn't believe that after all the pain she had endured, God had given her a perfect husband and
Slowly, Laura's eyelids opened for the second time, and now it was the peaceful face of Aryan that greeted her. Laura gazed at the handsome man's face in front of her for quite some time. He was the source of her love and greatest strength up to this point. Not satisfied with admiring her husband's handsome face, a sudden sense of curiosity began to disturb her. She glanced at the wall clock, which had stopped at exactly 4 in the early morning. Without much thought, she pulled open the drawer next to her bed, carefully retrieved a pregnancy test from inside it, and entered the bathroom without making a sound that could wake Aryan.Laura's heart pounded loudly as she looked at the pregnancy test that she had dipped into a small container containing her urine. She lifted the test stick slowly with trembling hands, and there it was... two red lines she had been waiting for appeared. It was crystal clear. For a moment, her body felt boneless, and she sat down on the bathroom floo
Laura's proposal seminar went smoothly with an A grade, which made her more enthusiastic as she entered the final semester of her college. She only needed to complete the data from her research that she had already conducted. Anton, as her thesis advisor, was now more flexible with all of his supervised students, even though he had a busy schedule as a professor and head of the university's research center. Everything was scheduled, from the day, time, and location of the advisory sessions. If he had any sudden commitments, he would reschedule them at another time, ensuring that all his students for the year progressed smoothly, including leading up to their thesis defense in two weeks."Look at that belly, just like a balloon, Ara," Laura pointed out as she walked with Arabella towards the faculty cafeteria after their last thesis advisory session before the upcoming defense in two weeks."Yeah, it's like a balloon. It can expand and deflate," Arabella replied, pantin
Laura completed her makeup exams without any issues. Everything went according to the schedule set by their respective course instructors. And semester 6 ended with a GPA (Grade Point Average) of 3.6, alongside Arabella, her close friend and now her sister-in-law.Laura spent her semester break learning to cook with her mother-in-law, Liana. They experimented with various recipes from both Indonesia and other countries. Aryan no longer worked late into the night at the office, and if there were urgent tasks, he entrusted them to his personal assistant, Jefri. On Sundays, he spent quality time with his family at home or went out with Laura. Trying out new recipes was something Aryan looked forward to every day because his wife's cooking experiments never disappointed.Finally, the plan to cook together with Laura's friends could be realized. Arabella, along with Andra and Baby Azka, arrived early, followed by Aurora and Laura's younger siblings, who joined in to make th
One week after the surgery, Laura had already started to resume her usual activities. During that week, Aryan had been constantly by Laura's side, handling all his office matters while Andra and Jefri took care of them. Even if there were documents requiring his signature, Jefri would bring them home, allowing Aryan to stay close to Laura and attend to her. Aryan could still manage to check on Jefri's work and reply to emails from his colleagues at home.He did all of this solely for Laura's recovery. Laura often urged him to go to the office, but Aryan refused to budge. He wanted to focus on taking care of Laura until she was completely healed. Arabella and Aurora, as their best friends, always provided their support. Additionally, Nancy and Ricard came to the house to deliver Laura's favorite dishes, prepared by her mother, Della. Many of their classmates also visited Laura at home."Look, Honey, two weeks at home, and my body is getting all soft. How can I resist yo
The long-awaited day finally arrived, the day when Laura was to undergo surgery to remove the cyst in her abdomen. All the preparations for the surgery were in place, and there were only 30 minutes left before Laura would be taken into the operating room. Feelings of relief and worry dominated everyone's thoughts, but they all had to hide those emotions behind smiles to show support for Laura."Aryan, where's Mom?" Laura asked anxiously, looking at the clock on the white-walled room. In five minutes, she would be moved to the operating table, but Aryan had not been seen since he left briefly to go to the bathroom.Liana was nervous, but before she could answer Laura's question, two male and female nurses entered to take Laura to the operating room. Everyone held back their tears as Laura smiled at them, trying to show that she was strong and brave. As the nurses pushed the wheelchair carrying Laura toward the door, Aryan suddenly appeared with a smile. Laura returned h
Aryan could only gently pat Laura's trembling shoulder. He was confused about how to calm his wife. Since returning from the hospital the previous night, Laura had been silent in her room. Aryan had been shocked by the results of Dr. Rahma's explanation that Laura had been diagnosed with an ovarian cyst. This was the reason for Laura's recent abdominal and hip pain, as well as her occasional fever and nighttime vomiting. What pained Aryan even more was that he had been unaware of Laura's illness. Regret. That was the feeling weighing heavily on Aryan's chest now. He felt like he wanted to pound his own chest in frustration. His heart shattered as he looked at Laura's sad state, a promise to never make her cry that he had now broken."I'll get you breakfast first," Aryan said softly as he kissed the top of Laura's head before leaving the room.Aryan walked to the dining room with a heavy heart. Instead of finding his parents there, he saw Ana, their maid, covering the d